Pulikulam cattle approved as indigenous breed

Madurais own Pulikulam cattle breed which provides us those raging bulls that test the taming skills of bull fighters during the ancient sport of jallikattu held annually has now been approved and registered as an indigenous breed. The Breed Registration ommittee !BR " of #ational Bureau of $nimal %enetic Resources !#B$%R" coming under &ndian ouncil for $gricultural Research !& $R" has approved the registration. &n a letter issued by B.'.(oshi) *irector) #B$%R) it has been stated that the committee had approved the registration of Pulikulam cattle as a breed and the accession number of the breed is +,- Pulikulam Tamilnadu &#*&$. $TT/0.-1,,. P2/&'2/$M.,3,34. Thanks to the tireless efforts of 506$ !5ustainable agriculture and 0nvironmental 6oluntary $ction" 7 an institution specialising in conservation of native cattle breeds 7 in Madurai which has been working hard over the years fighting for the protection of native cattle and livestock breeds. #B$%R is the nodal agency for the registration of newly identified germplasm of the livestock and poultry of the country. The newly identified breed is approved by BR headed by *eputy *irector %eneral !$nimal 5ciences") & $R and represented by #ational Biodiversity $uthority) *epartment of $nimal 8usbandry) *airying 9 :isheries) $ssistant *irector %eneral !& $R") *irectors of & $Rs) species specific animal science institutes and #B$%R. 506$ in its study found that Pulikulam cattle were contributing significantly to organic farming of coconut) grapes) banana and spices crops of the area through manure and draft power. There were 44 herds !a herd comprising between 4, and 4,, animals per livestock keeper ; keepers" in the area with their total population being around about 4),,, in Madurai district.

Pulikulam is a village located in 5ivaganga which was part of the erstwhile composite Ramanathapuram district) local myth says that the village got its name Puli 'ulam !Tiger Pond" because the village some five hundred years ago was surrounded by thick forest consisting 'aruvelam !$cacia #ilotica" trees and tigers used to come and <uench their thirst in the pond. The bulls here in the village are believed to be so raging that they would fight the tigers before going down. 506$ founder) P.6ivekanandan) while talking to The Hindu on Monday) said that the indigenous breed which is found in 1 villages in 5ivaganga and -3 villages in Madurai were originally brought by the pastoralists who migrated from Pulikulam over the years. =#inety nine per cent of the cattle is bred and maintained by the traditional cowherds belonging to >adava caste and remaining one per cent is maintained by members of Mukkulathor caste.? 5tarting from the month of @ctober) till the harvest season in (anuary the cattle would be kept in herds in their villages and during the remaining season they would be on the move going to hills and forest areas) however restrictions by forest department on access to graAing land has resulted in decrease of their numbers. Pulikulam cattle was widely used for ploughing but mechaniAation saw farmers no more using them) they are widely used for cattle penning wherein cattle are kept overnight in the field and urine and fecal matter added to the soil is incorporated to a shallow depth by working blade harrow or cultivator or cultivator. %lobalisation has led to a situation where the traditional role of pastoralists as custodians of animal genetic resources is on the wane. These indigenous breeds) which were maintained after a meticulous process of selection and breeding) could withstand local environment conditions. They are diseaseB resistant and culturally and religiously are part of our social imagination as property resource. The traditional herdsmen followed this process over centuries but they are all fading into memory says Mr.6ivekanandan.